Textile fabric rendered soil resistant with aluminum phosphate and method of producing same



TEXTILE FABRIC RENDERED SOIL RESISTANT WITH ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE ANDMETHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Patrick A. Florio, Elmhurst, N. Y., assignor toMohasco Industries, Inc., a corporation of New York No Drawing.Application April 13, 1954, Serial No. 422,987

12 Claims. (Cl. 117-169) This invention relates to the treatment ofsurfaces to reduce the adherence or attraction of particles thereto ahdmore particularly to the treatment of fabrics, paper and paper-likematerials, paint films and other materials to reduce their color changedue to pick-up and retention of particles on their exposed surfaces.

A more specific object is to reduce color change or greying of fabrics(flat or pile), covering or wrapping material, such as paper, and films,such as paint or varnish, due to the pick-up and retention of particlesduring use.

Another object is to reduce the particle adherence of surfaces withoutintroducing an undesirable discoloration or whitening or otherwiseharmfully altering the appearance or feel of the treated material.

Another object is to reduce the adherence of soil particles to surfaces.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of theinvention is more fully disclosed.

The treatment in accordance with this invention comprises depositing onthe surface to be protected a composition containing aluminum phosphateand having characteristics which make it effective for the purpose asillustrated by the specific examples.

The composition may be applied to the surface from a dispersion underconditions to leave a coating of the desired weight and compositionafter the vehicle has been removed.

The surface can be treated in various ways depending upon its type andthe results desired. In the case of pile fabrics, such as rugs orcarpets, a water dispersion of the compositon may be sprayed over thepile surface in an amount to produce the desired. particle pick-up, orthe dispersion may be applied by means of a carpet cleaning brush andthen dried, or the fabric may be inverted and the pile only dipped intothe dispersion. When used as a part of a standard rug-making process thedispersion may be sprayed onto the pile (face up) or the pile dipped(face down) after sizing and the treated rug then passed through astandard drier'for removing the vehicle. If the treatment is applied toa carpet on the floor it may be dried. at room temperature'by, allowingit to stand for 'a sufficient period'of time;

After drying the coating has' the property of adhering strongly to thesurface. sult of repeated cleaning or use it can be easily renewed.

The treatment is eifective on various textiles such as- Cotton pile rugsmay be immersed in the dispersion until the desired pick-up has takenplace on the fibers. The fabric is then passed between squeeze rollersand dried to leave the desired coating on the pile.

nited States Patent If eventually removed as a re 2,786,787 PatentedMar. 26, 19 57 The dispersion may be applied to wall paper or to asurface by spraying or painting technique and allowed to dry at roomtemperature to form a coating having the characteristics abovedescribed.

5 The treatment is suited in general for any surface which is subject toparticle adherence.

In accordance with this invention a dispersion of aluminum phosphate(A1PO4), a water insoluble phosphate of extremely small particle size,in salt free water.

' Example 1 A dispersion made by mixing 1 part of aluminum-phos phate(AlPO4) of extremely small average particle size (70 millimicrons andbelow) in 99 parts of salt free water, was stirred vigorously for aperiod of 10 minutesv A pile fabric having 22 ounces per square yard ofpile fiber was treated by immersion face down in this dispersion at roomtemperature to produce a solids pick-up of 1% on a dry basis on the pileWeight. This corresponds to a pick-up of 0.011 ounce per square yard ofexposed fiber surface area.

' Example 2 A dispersion made by mixing 1 part of aluminum phosphate(AlPO4) of extremely small average particle size (70 millimicrons andbelow) and 0.25 part of trisodium phosphate (NasPO4-l2H2O) and 98.75parts of salt free water was sprayed at room temperature as a line miston to the pile surface of an Axminster pile carpet having a 40 backingcomposed of cotton chain and filler yarns, jute stuffer yarns andone-half inch pile having a weight of.

. 23.2 ounces per square yard composed of a blend of 50% wool and 50%rayon. The pH of the pile may be 4 to 6.5. The spray may be controlledso that the weight of the dispersion taken up by the pile is about 100%of the pile weight and is concentrated on the pile with the backingremaining substantially dry. The carpet is then passed through a drierat a temperature of about 175 F. to remove the water and leave a coatingof aluminum phosphate on the pile of about 1% by weight of the pile,

corresponding to about .011 ounce per square yard of exposed fibersurface area. The coating is most concentrated at the free ends of thepile although some of the coating may extend down to the portion of thepile anchored in the backing. 6

Example 3 A dispersion made by mixing 1 part of aluminum phosphat(AlPO4) of extremely small average particle size (70 millimicrons andbelow), 0.25 part of trisodium '60 phosphate, N213PO4-12H2O), 0.25 partof Carbowax (a polyethylene glycol high molecular weight wax made byCarbide and Carbon Chemicals Corporation), and

98.75 parts .of salt free water, was applied to the exposed fibersurface of a pile fabric containing a blend of carpet wool and viscoserayon by spraying at room temperature. After drying, a pick-up of 1%aluminum phosphate on the pile or .011 ounce per square yard of exposedfiber surface was obtained.

Example 4 dispersion was made by mixing 0.5 part of aluminum phosphate,0.25 part of trisodium phosphate, and 0.25

arrears? part of Oarbowax into 5916 parts of salt freewater. 'E'hgmixture was stirred vigorously for 10 minutes. This dispersion was usedto treat carpet as above.

Example Other materials may beadded to the dispersion states; to improvethe soil fepeuencyqimntiee lior exainplg a dispersion was made by mixing0l5 par t of aluminum phosphate, 0.25 part of Ludo)? snicdfipnde' s oldby Du Pont), 0.25 art or tris'odiu'rii pses iate, 0 25 ar: of CarboWax;and 98175 parts of salt nee water. mixture was stirred vigorously foraperiod or o, rninntes, The dispersion was used to treat carpet as inExamples 1 to 3. n

Other metal oxi es may be used" in precep Ludox, us such as Alon, analuminum oxide soldb'y Go'dfrey Cabot, Inc'., aluminum aerog'el,titaniili'iioxide, etc. Representative Water dispersions of thesematerials are set forth in the following table:

ALULIINUM PHOSPHATE AND METAL OXIDES 2o [Oxides'iri water dispersion'for use in-t'ne treatment' of pil ca'iis't'as'sa" forth-inExample 1.]

Parts Parts Metal Oxides Parts Parts AIPO; TSP ;Carbowax 0. 25 0.25 Alon(A1100 0,-25; Ogle.

0. 50 0.25 T10: (Titano'xL. 0. 25 0. 2a.

0. 50 0.25 hydrous alumina. O. 25 0:25

Example 7 A combination of oxides'm-ay'be' usedto aidi'th f aluminumphosphate in giving 'soil resistance; Fonex -fl. ample, a dispersion wasmade by mixing0.5 'parto'f' aluminum phosphate, 0.25ipart of Alon, 0.25part'of; Ludox, 0.25 part of trisodium'phosphate, 0. 25pa'rt of"Carbowax, and 98.5 parts of salt free'water. Thiskiis persion was usedto treat carpet as in'Examples 1 to 3.

Example 8 Other water insoluble inorganic materials having par ticlesizes of a colloidal nature such as silicates and clays; may also beused as an addition to the aluminum, phos' phate to improve its soilresistance properties. For ex- ,ln" ample, adispersion may-he made bymixing 0.5 part of aluminum phosphate, 0.25 part of Veegum '(an aluminummagnesium silicate made by the Vanderbilt'CoJ, 0.125 part of trisodiumphosphate, 0.125;p'art of Carbowax, and 99 parts of salt free water.This mixture was stirred l vigorously and used to treat carpetas inExample I.

Example'9 A dispersion prepared as set" forthin the answer amples andcontaining 5% solids maybeappliewb' a brush to a standard wallpaperwhile on the wall Landloa 4 painted surface in a quantity toproduce a 'so'l ids' coating of .01 ounce per squareyar'd."

Example 10 Ailat non-pile fabric (fla'g --bunting,"weight4.75 ouncespersquare yard) may be passed through a dispersion pre pared as set forthin the aboveexamples and between squee ze rollers to leave a solidspick-up of"from=i1% to 1.5% by weight when dryycorresponding to about.0091" g ounce tg olfi ounce per square yard of exposed fiber surfacearea.

Exarnple 11 Additions may be made to the AlPOi dispersion to satisfy theneed for other properties such as (1) lowering whitening effect by theaddition of metal, oxides; (2) improvement of hand b 'the' addition ofknown softening agent-s; ("3) improv ent of change by the addition ofdy' jser oth'e e 10 matter. 7v

g In any of the above examples her kriowiii wetting and dispersingagents ma paused n .pla'ce.i ,0f thetrisodium phosphate, or, if desired,the w'e ttirig or dispersing agent Also othe'r'waxesmaiybe in p laice'of the Carbowax for improving the handiand decreasing theQli'arshn essof thetreat'e'dsurface or the" warm-84y" be omitted if not required foraparticular purpose. t I g p V y p The spraying or dipping mayhecontrolled so that the desired Weight ofc'oating' is formed; v v Acoating of 5% ro1 115% dry solids based on the weight of the pile hasbeen fdundrnost effective for many types of pile materials although thecoating maybe varied from 25% to 5% for some purposes. Ari excess of thecomposition maybe used'biut usually does not furtherdecreasetlreadlieren ce er soil particles and may increase the whiteningeffect: In addition it rnay result in excess dusting' and' maybec'omnoticeable in the feel of the materia'L' p v; The surface area'or fiberco'iite'ama' be calculated by the following equation:

Where W equals the total weightiof "fiber persquarc yard; As equals theelfe'ctive'exposecl iib erl surface area (in square yards) er; squareyard of'fabric'; 'D' equals average density of the fibe r in pounds per"cubic'yard calculated by- (specific gravity) X1685; 'df'equals'aver'agdiameter of thefiber in ya rds'calculated by (fiberdiameter in' microns)1.0 9 5 :10 and'E equal'sfaTfactor showing the averagef degreeofjpen'et'ra'ti on of the. treating dispersion expresse d asa"fraction"of"th'e total'fiber area i assey be fused; coating"technique,

like these same limits in ounces of coating'pi' square yard apply. Ifpile surfac the coinpositionf rnafrni the pile and totlre'backing. f

Standard detergents,'iwett n g an 'dispe be usedwiththeabove"dispersions*if'desii These are particularly useful toeffect a combination of cleaning and treating.

Obviously the above treatment can be applied to fibers prior tospinning, to yarn prior to weaving or to fabrics after weaving.

What is claimed is:

l. A textile fabric having a surface coating of discrete, pre-formedaluminum phosphate, the average particle size of said aluminum phosphatebeing not greater than about 70 millimicrons, the coating being presenton the material in an amount of from about 0.25% to about of the weightof the fabric, said coating having the property of reducing the tendencyof the surface to pick up and retain soil particles.

2. A textile fabric as set forth in claim 1 having a backing and pileelements anchored therein, the pile elements forming the exposed surfaceand having the coating of the particles of aluminum phosphate.

3. A textile fabric as set forth in claim 1 in which the surface coatingincludes a softening agent.

4. A textile fabric as set forth in claim 1 in which the coating alsoincludes a finely-divided metal oxide.

5. A textile fabric as set forth in claim 1 in which the metal oxide isaluminum oxide.

6. A textile fabric as set forth in claim 1 in which the metal oxide issilicon oxide.

7. The method of reducing the particle adherence characteristics of atextile fabric without producing an undesirable color change therein,which comprises applying to a surface of said fabric a dilute liquiddispersion containing pre-formed particles of aluminum phosphate havingan average particle size not greater than about 70 millimicrons, andremoving the dispersion vehicle from the fabric, the amount ofdispersion applied to the surface being such as to leave thereOn anamount of the aluminum phosphate equal to about 0.25% to about 5% of theWeight of the fabric.

8. The method of claim 7 in which the dispersion of the aluminumphosphate includes a wetting and dispersion agent.

9. The method of claim 7 in which the dispersion of aluminum phosphateincludes a softening agent.

10. The method of claim 7 in which the dispersion of aluminum phosphatealso includes a finely-divided metal oxide.

11. The method of claim 10 in which the metal oxide is aluminum oxide.

12. The method of claim 10 in which the metal oxide is silicon oxide.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,434,549 Lewis et al. Nov. 7, 1922 1,983,349 Dreyfus Dec. 4, 19342,033,977 Dreyfus Mar. 17, 1936 2,230,656 Scholler Feb. 4, 19412,570,750 Bauer Oct. 9, 1951 2,587,505 Moody Feb. 26, 1952 2,622,307Cogovan et al. Dec. 23, 1952 OTHER REFERENCES Synthetic OrganicChemicals, 12th edition, July 1, 1946, pages 22 and 23, Carbide andCarbon Chemicals Corp.

1. A TEXTILE FABRIC HAVING A SURFACE COATING OF DISCRETE, PRE-FORMEDALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, THE AVERAGE PARTICLE SIZE OF SAID ALUMINUM PHOSPHATEBEING NOT GREATER THAN ABOUT 70 MILLIMICRONS, THE COATING BEING PRESENTON THE MATERIAL IN AN AMOUNT OF FROM ABOUT 0.25% TO ABOUT 5% OF THEWEIGHT OF THE FABRIC, SAID COATING HAVING THE PROPERTY OF REDUCING THETENDENCY OF THE SURFACE TO PICK UP AND RETAIN SOIL PARTICLES.